


Living Life through a Camera Lens

by TaPanda



Category: Homestuck
Genre: AU, Breaking stereotypes, Friendship/Love, M/M, Post-Game, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-03-04
Updated: 2012-03-29
Packaged: 2017-11-01 03:04:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 14,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/351229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TaPanda/pseuds/TaPanda
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dave Strider has a particularly successful photography business. One night, he meets up with Rose Lalonde, a childhood friend, and meets some of her friends from when she studied abroad.  He is particularly captivated by John's eyes, but doesn't think he'd ever meet him again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Glorified Hobby

He adjusted the lens on his camera, focused the petals, making sure to catch the light so it flared slightly across the lens. Snapping the picture, he stood up, camera hanging from a strap around his neck, stretching out his back. Dave Strider reached down to snap the lens cap back in place when something caught his eye. Bright striking blue, so dazzling Dave wanted to whip around and snap a picture before it disappeared, but he forced himself to turn his head slowly. He saw a young man in the distance, maybe about the same age as he, smiling at two girls. Dave blinked, hands unconsciously prepping his camera. As he pulled his camera back up, eye pressed to the optical viewfinder, finger about to capture those eyes forever.

“Dave?” A voice all too familiar asked. He slowly lowered the camera to see a slight blonde girl raise a hand towards him. “Dave Strider, what a pleasure to see you out here!” She started to walk towards him.

Dropping the camera gently against his chest, he allowed himself a slight nod, walking towards the group. “Lalonde, I wouldn’t expect to see you here either. Taking a break from the country clubs?”

She smiled, gesturing to the pair she had been talking to earlier. “Oh, you do like to dig in sensitive places, as ever. I wouldn’t be caught near one, for fear of my mother coming to visit with a plaque or something else. Dave, I’d like you to meet John and Jade. Jade, John, this is Dave.” The pair both smiled widely. They looked very similar, enough to be siblings, or maybe cousins.

“Sup?” Dave asked, suddenly aware both of his hands still held his camera. Letting go with his right, he offered it to the pair.

Jade shook it excitedly, and John gestured to his camera. “Are you a photographer?”

Dave took his camera back in both hands, mouth slightly open to respond when Rose cut in. “He’d like to call himself a DJ, but unfortunately, with the change in music tastes he’d never have the market.”

“Anything else you’d like to spill, Rose? Embarrassing childhood stories?” She smiled wryly, and he shrugged to John. “I’d like to say it’s a hobby, but it didn’t work that way, so it seems.”

“He’s too modest. He’s only one of the most sought after photographers in the city.” Rose said, clearly directed at John and Jade. She looked over her shoulder at him. “And yet he spends his free time in the park, getting those shots he could never capture in his studio.”

“A glorified hobby of mine.” Dave finished. “Though I guess I’m not the only one, right Lalonde?”

“Please Strider; this is no time to bring up my novels.” Rose gestured at John. “In fact, I was going to call you later. John and Jade are friends I made during that semester I spent abroad.”

Jade giggled. “Come now, that was only one year ago! Plus, the night is young; we should go be having some fun!”

Rose smiled slightly. “Of course, Jade.” To Dave, a slightly proffered hand. “You’re welcome to come with us, of course.”

Dave deftly hoisted his camera, snapping quick shots of the three. “Only if you don’t mind the camera every now and again. I don’t just work for others, after all.” Jade just giggled and Rose rolled her eyes.

Dave later learned that Jade was in graduate school, working on frog genetics. “For some reason, I’ve always been fascinated by them. I don’t think you’ll believe me, but there was one time I swear I saw a rainbow frog on the island where I grew up once. I don’t know if it was some weird genetically altered frog or what, but I always wanted to figure out exactly why. That’s why I ended up going into the field.”

John had graduated, and despite several of his professors pushing him towards graduate school, he instead was currently working on a screenplay. “It’s loosely based on a Nic Cage film I used to adore as a child.” He explained to Dave over dinner. “I guess you really never outgrow the things you like as a child, huh?” He later laughed when Dave pulled out his phone in a cab and showed him a horrible webcomic he used to make, and played him some of his horrible music. “Maybe one of these days I’ll get around to playing the piano for someone.” John responded.

The night was filled with laughter, and ended when all manner of decent people had long been in bed. Dave couldn’t quite remember the last time he quite had that much fun, but he attributed it to the company more than anything. John and Jade were infectious, with smiles and laughter that lit up the whole place. Mostly, Dave could never quite wrap around the exact blueness of John’s eyes, instead drinking them in the entire night.

Dave developed the photos carefully in his private darkroom, obsessing over every detail as he always did. A few of the photos were good enough for business endeavors, but those weren’t the ones he focused his energy on. There was one he often looked at, where John’s eyes bubbled with laughter; brimming with a blue Dave was certain wasn’t a natural shade.

It was the blueness that he almost forgot until four months later, when a special call came from an agent. “We need some pictures of our new filmmaker. He’s absolutely brilliant, wrote and directed his own independent film. It’s already up for three separate awards.”

“Bring him in; I’ll see what I can do. I don’t promise I can make him look amazing, but you know you won’t get any better photographer, nor for a more decent price.”  
“That’s for sure, Mr. Strider. Can I bring him in tomorrow around 11?”

“Cool for me, I only have an appointment at 9. I was going to take a bit of the day off to edit the color levels on a shoot I did last week.”

Dave really shouldn’t have been surprised when John walked through his studio doors the next day, shepherded by the agent he had on the phone, grin big and eyes blue as ever.


	2. Déjà vu

Dave had one business model, and it wasn’t to make money. It was about picking what he wanted to do, and he was more than good enough to do so. Still, there were days when all he wanted to do was go to a wildlife reserve and snap pictures of the animals and plants for their guidebooks.

He went to college, sure, but there wasn’t much for him to do there. He was already a fairly decent hit in the photography world and by the time he was half of the way through school he didn’t even need to continue, with the amount of jobs he could get. There was something about getting a college degree he needed, and so when he graduated a degree in photography with an already booming freelance business, he saw no need to continue on to graduate school. It would be just a waste of time and money.

So Dave worked, worked his own schedule for who he wanted to whenever he wanted to. He could afford to do that, and nobody ever stopped to tell him to do differently. Well, nobody except his childhood friend, Rose Lalonde.

 

Rose had been around for almost as long as Dave could remember. Apparently Dave’s brother and Rose’s mother ended up going to the same bar one night, started talking about the kids, and thought it would be cute to have a get together. Dave had more than one picture of him dressed in Rose’s clothing as a toddler, dressed by the almost perpetually drunk Mrs. Lalonde. To be fair, Rose probably had a large number of pictures of her with extremely phallic looking puppets, so he figured the score was even.

Rose and Dave grew up together. Bro and Mrs. Lalonde made sure they went to the same schools, and were in the same classes in elementary school. Dave was half convinced that Mrs. Lalonde had to bribe the school to do that, but he didn’t really care. Dave and Rose weren’t able to get along with other people very easily, and after they turned thirteen and both couldn’t remember anything about that year for some reason, had gotten even closer.

At school, almost everyone was convinced the two of them were related, siblings or maybe cousins, with the same hair color, same skin tone, and same actions. Surely they spent enough time together for the thought to cross almost all of their classmate’s minds. With that came the accusations of incest between them, or between their guardians. If their classmates sought to tear them apart with these taunts, all they did was fail miserably. The pair became almost joined to the hip until college, only isolated further by their apparent genius.

Rose was the one person Dave could talk to about anything. She helped him through every problem he had with his brother, helped him through all the awkward years of puberty, and was there during a particularly painful phase when Dave was convinced dubstep was the best form of music ever to exist. Likewise, Dave was there to support Rose at every turn of her life, reading her shitty fanfiction as an editor to listening to her talk about problems with her ever passive-aggressive mother.

Dave and Rose both spontaneously hit fame at about the same time. Rose’s first novel was published and hailed by critics only two weeks after Dave won an extremely prestigious photography award. From then on, they never really fit in with the rest of their school, and Mrs. Lalonde insisted they both go to a high-class boarding school, shushing Dave’s brother with a drunkenly waving finger.

“Dirk, I can pay for the kids to go to school. Hell, I can even get them a room together. I’ll do it, or my name is Miss Zupperpips.” For some reason that got a smile out of Dave’s brother, and he consented.

Rose and Dave ended up being the only room where it was allowed for a boy and girl to sleep together, but it didn’t bother them. The boarding school really only served to further alienate the pair, because it was some fancy boarding school for gifted students. Most of the instruction was a joke, and Dave pretty much only had to curb his cursing around the teacher who served as a technician in the darkroom.

Essentially, Dave didn’t really get along with many people. Rose could cope with ordinary people a bit better, but not much, and there was always something that drove the pair together. Rose had an odd fascination with dark magic and odd tentacle fiction and psychology and Dave… well. Dave liked to talk about bands no one else knew, and loved to mix music at all hours of the night. He also had an odd fascination with things preserved in jars, which helped him in his photography, as he started collecting pictures of exotic bugs (and then of course, preserved the bugs delicately).

When they graduated from the bullshit boarding school, the two had the run of any school they wanted to go to for college. Maybe it was the boarding school, but Dave and Rose decided to move back near home. It wasn’t the best school, but it was more than decent and they were perfectly happy to receive two celebrities. (Dave had snapped some stunning publicity shots for Rose only a few months after their original success, and now she was re-marketed as both young and beautiful, unintentionally bringing him more fame as well).

The two ended up going to live in different dorm rooms, even on different floors. Dave made a group of friends who adored photography and creepy things, and introduced them to good music while Rose’s circle of dark writers all learned a great deal more about how to psychologically manipulate their readers. Rose went off for a semester overseas, more to research a novel than to learn, and Dave spent a summer backpacking around the Cascade Mountains, alternating between shots for nature magazines and calendar companies and stunning shoots for budding models.

 

Dave didn’t have many friends, in general, so when John walked through his doors, all smiles, and threw his arms around the blonde, he hardly knew what to think. “Dave! It’s been far too long!” He said, all smiles and sky eyes.

Has it? Dave could only give a slight nod. “Good to see you, John. I didn’t know you were staying in town.” He moved to shake hands with the agent. “Dave Strider.”

“You know Mr. Egbert?” The agent asked, raising an eyebrow. Dave shrugged, letting John explain as he knew the brunette would. Dave gave the agent a hard look. He looked ridiculous, to say the least. Cheap pinstripe suit, loafers, bad haircut, and to top it off, a porn star mustache. 

“Know him? He’s one of my best friend’s best friends! That makes us best friends by proxy, right Dave?” The blonde raised one eyebrow as John turned to fully face him. “They told me I had to get photos so I told them I wanted you to take them! Isn’t that great? I mean, I really love the ones you did for Rose…” He trailed off, staring down at his hands, which were held out, fingers dancing in erratic intricate patterns, undoubtedly some sort of nervous habit.

Best friends. The words seemed to sink and settle in the pit of Dave’s stomach, just sitting there. He and Rose never really used the phrase, and since they already treated each other more like siblings than anything else, it was never something that crossed his mind before. But there was something about the way John said it, something so familiar and stirring that it almost brought forth a feeling of déjà vu. Immediately, the sense that some things shouldn’t be remembered overwhelmed him, and Dave limited himself to a single startled blink, not that anyone would know but him. 

Dave almost allowed himself to take a long look at John straight on, but settled on staring at him through the corner of his shades, instead pretending to address John’s agent “John’s in more than capable hands. Just tell me what you want, and you can leave him here.” Dave picked up one of his cameras, focusing directly on the cyan irises that seemed to have a life and smile on their own.

The agent smiled and left, and John turned to Dave with a grin on his face. “So, I probably should have gotten in touch with you sooner! I mean, I’ve been in the city for the past three weeks and I’ve only been able to grab a quick coffee once with Rose. It’s so hectic!” He smiled, waving his arms around for effect. “Are you ever going to put that camera down?”

Dave snapped a picture, then lowered the camera for his eye in time for a quick smirk just to raise it back. “Some of the best pictures are completely candid, Mr. Egbert. Surely a great independent film director such as yourself would know something like that?” He snapped a few more pictures when John’s head tipped backwards and laughter poured from his lips, thick, sweet and, infectious.

They were back, of that Dave was sure. This time, he was going to be sure to get as many pictures of them as he could. He wasn’t going to let those hauntingly familiar eyes escape him again, that was for certain.


	3. "Where did time even go?"

Instead of actually doing any sort of work, John opted to talk to Dave most of this meeting. It seemed he had a lot to tell him about, and for Dave, who was naturally not used to having to share every minute detail about his private life despite the amount of interviews he answered since age seventeen, he was more than happy to sit and listen. Sometimes, he would raise his camera quickly and snap a picture, like when John’s brow was furrowed in mock concentration as he imitated the costume designer.

“And she just stood there like this-” Here John raised one hand to his mouth, sucking on invisible pins, the other raised and cupped around what Dave could only presume was a mannequin’s breast “just talking about what fabrics would look best on her and how the budget would need to be raised a bit more to cover it…” He sighed. “But when I asked how much she said about two thousand should cover it!” He threw his hands up, clearly exasperated. “This was at the beginning, so I had no idea if I was going to lose all the money I was putting in my film or what. It was crazy to think about.”

“Was it really?” Dave asked. His life hadn’t been overly privileged, but he could pretty much afford any sort of camera equipment he wanted as a kid because of his brother’s various businesses and the ads people put on his shitty websites when he was younger.

John shrugged slowly. “I mean, I guess not. My dad is pretty loaded and he’d cover anything I needed, but I didn’t really want him to have to do that for me, you know?” Dave only knew too well, since he felt the same way about his brother.

“Yeah, I understand that. I mean, my brother made quite a bit of money, but when I was a teenager I didn’t want to have to buy my things with his awkward puppet porn money.” John burst out laughing, but Dave knew better than to say anything. He’d gotten this reaction before.

“Oh, oh man you almost had me for a minute. Puppet porn money! Hahahaha….” John’s laugh trailed off, staring back at Dave. “Oh shit, you were serious weren’t you? Puppet porn? How does that even- ”

“I’d describe it to you, but I don’t really want to be charged for your murder, you know?” Dave cracked a smile and John burst out laughing again. “And before you ask, yes it really is that bad.”

“To be honest, I was completely convinced my dad worked as a clown until I was about… fourteen maybe?” He snorted. “Never really thought about the fact he practically wore suits and nice shoes everywhere…”

“I once asked the older Lalonde if she was paid to get drunk.” John’s eyes went wide. “Oh, come on dude. I was seven and that’s all I’d ever seen her do. What else was I supposed to think at that age?” John shrugged.

“I don’t know, but… I just wouldn’t have asked something like that I guess.” John scratched the back of his head. “At least, not at the age of seven…”

They kept talking, not even caring what the topic was. They covered favorite video games, where Dave defended the shittiest of games for the shittiest of consoles and John tried to prove to him that someone could never be called a gamer for only playing Call of Duty (which Dave agreed with, but it was hilarious to see the brunette get flustered during an argument). They discussed pets they would want to have. John was convinced he would either have a bunny or a pet salamander where Dave was trying to joke about having some pet crocodiles that would take over Wall Street. John admitted that he really did want a salamander and was looking into it. Dave himself was looking into some crows, but thought it just wasn’t one of those things they mentioned.

The two kept going back and forth on random topics until John accidentally said something about a movie. “No, but dude, you’d love 300. The main character's abs are so amazing.” The young mad immediately flushed red, hand covering his mouth. “Di-did you hear that?” Dave only nodded, and John blushed from his ears to his neck.

An awkward silence would have ensued if for not the phone call that broke the momentary silence in the office. “If you’ll excuse me,” Dave said, grabbing the phone.

“Hello, Strider Photography, Strider speaking. Oh, yes, your photos are ready. Pick them up? How about 1:30 or so?” He paused, and glanced quickly at the clock. “I’m sorry, I’ve lost track of the time. How about 3 or so then?” He scribbled something quickly on a notepad with a nearby pencil, ripping it off to stick on a board littered with dozens of other sticky notes. “Sure, I’ll be here. I’ll see you then. The pictures look already looked great, so I didn’t have to edit them very much. No, that’s really not flattery, it’s the truth. I’ll see you then, bye.”

As Dave put the phone down, John looked at him questioningly. “Another client?”

Dave nodded. “Man, did you realize it’s already 1:15? It’s a good thing I didn’t have much else to do today…”

John flushed red slightly. “Oh, I’m so sorry! Where did time even go? It was just really great getting to talk to you again and there’s so much for us to talk about and I tend to kind of just ramble on when I enjoy my company and be glad I didn’t talk about Nic Cage because I used to do that a lot as a kid and…”

Dave held up a hand, allowing the slight smile to tug the corner of his lip up. “Don’t mention it. I think you’re the only person besides Rose who’s been able to get me to keep a conversation with them going for more than an hour.” He shrugged. “She’s probably going to want to analyze me like we used to do as kids for that.” The blonde sighed.  
John started giggling, but a loud growl from his stomach cut the noise. “Oh, uh…”

“Dude, you want to go grab some lunch? There’s a few good places around here we could get something good for cheap. Pizza, sandwiches… I have to find places that work at odd hours. Sometimes I forget to grab lunch until three or four.”

John nodded and Dave grabbed his coat. They walked out the door and Dave quickly locked it, stashing his keys neatly in his pocket before starting to walk down the street. “So, you seem like you can get whatever you want to eat around here. Why go cheap?”

Dave shrugged. “I didn’t have much the first… oh, seven or eight years of my life? Before my brother’s business picked up, I guess. It was just how I was raised.”  
“Your parents?” John ventured, gently.

Dave chewed his lip thoughtfully. “That’s an awkward subject, actually… Bro was only seventeen, and… she died from complications. His mom tried to take care of me but his dad ran out maybe two years before and she wasn’t doing well. Died from pneumonia just after Bro turned 18. Since he was still legally my parent the authorities couldn’t do anything about it, but he never really felt like he was my father, you know?”

John nodded, looking down as Dave steered him down a street. “Technically my dad and I are brothers too… my grandma froze eggs and when my dad found out he… he got a sperm donor and found someone to incubate. He’s all I’ve had growing up. My grandma died a few days before I was born.”

Dave shrugged, glancing at John. “How the fuck is it even possible for us to know each other? Lalonde has fucked up family past too.” 

John shook his head. “I have no idea, but it’s the same with Jade too. Remember her? From when we first met.”

“Don’t take me for a fool, Egbert, of course I do.” He gestured to a door. “We’re here. Very cheap, very good pizza. You’re lucky I don’t charge for my first planning meeting with people or I’d be making a hell of a killing here.”

John smiled at him. “Oh, I wouldn’t mind. I get to spend time with you, after all.” Dave could swear with complete confidence that the brunette blushed slightly.

Dave just smirked lightly, gears inside his head churning furiously. John’s eyes were most definitely having an effect on him, of that there was no doubt. Even if John couldn’t notice things like that, Dave was certainly aware his pulse had quickened slightly ever since John walked through his office door, and had continued to stay that way. They were able to talk, just talk for hours without even realizing what else happened. The blonde couldn’t even remember if he ever had a connection like that with someone else before. Plus there was his latest comment to work through. It made him feel almost tingly, and with an ever growing suspicion, Dave was slowly beginning to suspect something.

Dave was fairly convinced he felt something for John.


	4. Certified Grade-A Genius

Dave and John ended up making it back to Dave’s studio just in time for one of Dave’s other clients to come and look over some proofs. “Hey man, is it cool if I stay longer? I have stuff I can do, I won’t be in your way or anything.” Dave of course told him he was more than welcome to stay.

The client was more than thrilled to see the pictures Dave had started to work on. She was positively drooling over them. “Oh, Mr. Strider these are fabulous, I wish I could hire you full time. I know I can’t, realistically, but my clients are going to love the way you photographed their zoo.” She smiled, grabbing her tube of lipstick to smear a new coat of the thick substance on her already overly over accented lips. It was all Dave could do to not snort at her obvious attempts to flirt and flatter him.

“Of course, that’s what I’m paid to do after all. Is there anything else you’d like from these or should I send them off to your clients? I can always meet with someone if they want me to crop any of these pictures…”

“Actually…” She smiled softly at him, batting her eyelashes far more than any human would in a regular situation. “I was wondering if I could get you to photograph something for an exhibit one of my client zoos is going to start. I can get you all the specimens you want.”

“It depends, you know. You know how I do this.”

“Yes, well. They’re trying to advertise an exhibit that’s going to be opening next February about amphibians and-“

Dave held up a finger, and she obligingly stopped. “I would only have one request for this.” He leaned in to her ear, glancing to make sure John wasn’t paying attention. “I’d like to go see the exhibit before it opens, maybe a few weeks before, if that’s okay?”

“Oh, I can guarantee that would hardly be a problem for us. So, that would be in four month’s time…. I’m certain my clients would be all right with letting you see it.”

Dave’s mouth thinned slightly. “Actually, I’d like to bring three guests with me as well, if that could be at all possible?” He said it as a question, but he had done several jobs for this woman before. He was put in contact with her after Dave had snapped truly remarkable photos of some mountain goats in the Rocky Mountains for National Geographic, and he knew how to get exactly what he wanted from her. “Of course, I can take a few new shots of your dog Priscilla for you as well. Just a half hour shoot.”

Her eyes widened with her smile, and she held out a hand. “You have a deal,” was clear, and then with her voice lowered, “I’m sure I’ll have to get some of those photos you take for me, you rascal. I never get out of here for free, it seems.”

When he was finished with his business, he politely saw the woman out and stood at his window a few seconds, stretching while viewing the commotion of the world. It quickly dawned on him that John had said nothing, and when he looked over he noticed the other young man quietly sleeping on the couch. Dave shook him. “Hey man, wake up, you’re really going to fuck up your neck if you actually fall asleep like that.”

John mumbled something incoherently and his head rolled off the side against his shoulder, waking him with a jolt. “Oh shit man, I’m sorry Dave. You totally needed to see me asleep for those promo shots, didn’t you?” He rubbed a hand over his eyes as Dave chucked quietly.

“Don’t worry about it, you’ve probably been up to your neck in finishing the edits for the film or some crap like that.”

“Actually…” John flipped his laptop around so Dave could view what he was working on. “Right now I’m fixing up a few pieces of the score. It just doesn’t seem to fit together, and I don’t really know what to do here.”

Dave squatted down so he was at eye height with the screen. “Man, I only ever did mixing, and that wasn’t very good mixing either. Maybe getting Rose to help would work or something. She still plays violin I do believe. Has herself a crazy little string quartet group to practice with… all met at some writer’s guild.”

John closed his laptop, sighing. “Hmm… I may have to give her a call then.”

Dave cocked his eyebrow, straightening so he could pull over a chair and sit on that. “Your agent didn’t inform me you were a man of so many talents…”

“He doesn’t know I’m writing the score.”

“He doesn’t know.” It wasn’t a question, but a re-affirmation.

“I gave him a fake name for the person writing the score. I mean, it’s just some light piano stuff that I’m backing some of the heavier scenes with…”

“So, not only are you writing the pieces, you’re-”

“Playing them as well, yes.”

Dave shook his head, impressed. “You do realize that could lead to some pretty amazing pictures, right? You’ve been holding out on me, Egbert. Seriously holding out. I’m in the presence of one certified grade-A genius.”

John decidedly fiddled with his glasses, clearly unsure of how to catalogue this praise. “So are you, Mr. Teenage Fame. But really, it’s just another way for me to cut costs. I’ve been telling everyone that it’s my anonymous friend who’s working on the score, and just wants the practice before going into the business asking for money.”

“Is that what you’re planning on doing then? Get a few critically acclaimed independent films both written and directed by you, then spontaneously announce that you’re changing to become a score writer because not only did you write the score, you played it for the soundtrack as well? Dave leaned forward, cupping his chin by two thumbs and forefingers, hands held together in one fisted mass. “Trust me, that’s like me saying that because I took some photos of some of my more interesting preserved specimen that got acclaimed I was going to become a taxidermist because lo and behold, I preserve my own specimen.”

John flushed hotly. “It’s been a childhood dream of mine, alright? I don’t know what I want to do yet. This project wasn’t actually meant to get a lot of press or anything. I just did it to test what my abilities were.”

Dave sighed, one hand running through his hair. “Jesus John, you think someone would know what they wanted to do before jumping into something that could sink their life prospects though. What happens if somebody wants you to adapt a New York Bestseller into a script? Would you say no to that?”

John stood up, hands balled into fists. “Fuck, Dave, I don’t know…” He sunk back to the couch, running one hand roughly across his face. Dave immediately moved to sit next to him, slinging one arm around his shoulder. “I used to know exactly what I wanted to do with my life when I was younger. I used to want to be a director, make a big name for myself with Hollywood and the flashy lights. But this…” He vaguely gestured to his laptop and the multitude of work doubtless waiting for him when he next opened it. “This is more than I bargained for. I really shouldn’t have even stayed here with you. Me falling asleep on your couch? That’s me not having enough sleep. I’ve already had to promise I was making two films anyway.” Dave raised an eyebrow at that.

“Not public knowledge, I imagine?” 

“No, and my publicist would kill me if he found out you knew that bit, of course…” John sighed, carding a hand through his hair, managing to make it look even messier than it had before. “The edits haven’t even been finished with this one, then there’s running around to a dozen glitzy film festivals, and by the time I’m back I’ll have to have the next script practically ready.”

“Do you have anything in mind?”

John looked at Dave closely. “Will you think I’m absolutely stripped of all sanity if I say something completely random here?”

“Shoot. I was just about to ask if you’d like to accompany me to my editing room so I could finish a shoot for a client though. I have to get them printed tomorrow and a few of the color balances have been driving me fucking insane.”

John smiled. “In return, I assume I’ll have to show you the rough cut of my film?”

Dave stood up, walking down the hallway, not checking to see if John was following, yet knowing he was close behind. “Naturally, or how would I know exactly what photograph to go for? I never did hammer out a contract yet. We were only supposed to have a brief meeting here. And look, it’s what, 4:30. Fuck man, I never let time get away from me. Ever…” Dave was sure as hell glad he wasn’t facing the other man, for the grimace on his face, though fleeting, was all shades of ugly and very personal. They got to the room, and Dave briefly explained the information before settling down on a stool to get to work.

John cleared his throat. “Well, I have this notebook from when I was a kid. According to the date on it, I seemed to have written it all when I was thirteen… I just…”

“Yes?” Dave asked, head turned but eyes still locked onto his work.

“The problem is… I don’t remember a thing about the year I was thirteen.”


	5. When I was Thirteen...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John just imparted a deep held secret of his - he doesn't remember anything from the year when he was thirteen, just like Dave and Rose.
> 
> (Each of these chapters seems to get longer...)

Dave whipped around immediately. “Say that one more time.”

John looked startled. “Fuck, I knew you were going to think I was batshit crazy as soon as I mention-“

“John Egbert, shut up and say that again.”

“I-I don’t remember a thing about the year I was thirteen?”

Dave shot straight up out of his chair, over to John’s side before the brunette even had a chance to blink, and hauled him roughly up on his feet. “Did Lalonde put you up to this? Is this some sick and utterly twisted joke you’re trying to pull on me, or are you one hundred percent, stab me with a knife honest?” He gripped John’s upper arms hard, as if letting go would make the other disappear.

“Of course I’m telling the truth! Why would I be so nervous if… what, why would Rose put me up to say that? Dave, you’re not making any sense right now.”

“Egbert I swear to fucking Lucifer if you’re not telling me the truth right now I can kill you before you’d be able to make it to the door. I’ve got a sword stashed in here and I am not afraid to use it at this moment.”

“Dave, calm the fuck down? What are you so paranoid about? I just spilled my biggest secret to you and I’m supposed to be the one flipping out about that, not you. I’ve only ever told Jade about this!” John’s face was flushed, eyes growing quickly damp as he shifted in Dave’s grasp. “Also, oww, you’re hurting me.”

Dave loosened his grip, but didn’t let go. “John, you. You can’t remember one thing? Not one, not school or family or friends? There’s just a jump and life starts back in spring of the next year?”

John’s eyes widened. “How do you… Dave…”

The blonde averted his gaze, which was slightly futile with his shades on. “I can’t remember a fucking sixteen months out of my life, I think I have every right to be suspicious here.” He felt John sag in relief beneath his hands, and he let a breath out he wasn’t aware he was holding in.

“But, then… Rose?”

“Same as me. Except she was blessedly gifted with remembering one more day than I can. She and I both blank out from our birthdays until… I think we’ve pinpointed it exactly to April 13 of the next year.”

John let out a slightly shaky sigh. “Exactly one year… exactly from my thirteenth birthday to my fourteenth.”

“Fuck… and you’ve only ever told Jade?”

John nodded, then added. “She blanks out the first of December.”

“Two more days before me then… not like I missed much on my actual birthday though, according to Rose.” Dave let out a completely heartless chuckle. “We thought we… well… we were certain it was just us…”

“Hey now, Jade and I thought the same thing.”

Dave let go of John. “You’re real, right? You’re not some elaborate part of my mind and I’m not turning into John Nash in A Beautiful Mind or anything like that?”

“I am one hundred percent a real person. I think the same question would apply to you, only I’m fairly certain you can’t get bruised from figments of your imagination gripping your arms.” He quipped back.

“I don’t know, we could always ask Rose about that one.”

“True.” There was a silence, but it was relaxed. It was a silence of relief, of two people finally finding they could be accepted without sounding completely mad. It was comforting, and John’s forehead somehow found its way to Dave’s shoulder, while Dave’s arm somehow wound up around the brunette’s upper back.

Dave was the one to break the silence. “So, there was a notebook?” John looked up, unwilling to really move his head, and nodded into Dave’s collarbone instead. “Did you ever open it?”

John pulled away from Dave. “Once. I did… once. I… I really didn’t want to actually know what was in there. But I was seeing a therapist and they told me to, so I did. I never went to see that person again.”

Dave swallowed the lump in his throat that he hadn’t noticed until then. “What was in there?”

John shook his head. “I… I don’t really want to say, but there was part of it that… well. It would make for the most fantastic of screenplays. Almost has a slight Alice In Wonderland feel to it.” He grimaced. “I was overwhelmed. It’s a lot to take in.”

Dave was afraid to ask the question on his lips, but before he could tell his mind to quell the thought, it was already working its way out of his mouth. “Do you still have it?”

 

Dave sat at the restaurant, pretending to look at his menu so he didn’t have to meet the eyes of anyone else around. Not that there was anyone else around, the status of Jade was apparently enough to ensure them a private space. However, he arrived slightly (or half an hour) early and didn’t have anything with which to occupy himself.

About five minutes before the agreed meeting time, Dave heard the familiar voices of John and Jade in the distance. They soon entered the room, John sharing a very long look with Dave that left Jade puzzled. “What, did I do something wrong? What’s going on?”

“We’ll discuss it when Rose gets here.” John said quietly, patting her on the shoulder.

“Why can’t I know now? Why are you two being so secretive?” She insisted, bouncing slightly with every few words for emphasis. John’s hand just squeezed her.

Right on the clock, Rose entered the building. Dave raised an eyebrow to her as a greeting while Jade and John launched at her for hugs. “Hello hello, it’s good to see you both. But really, what’s with the secrecy about this all?” She eyed Dave coolly, but he preoccupied himself by reaching for a drink of water.

“Yeah, that’s what I want to know!” Jade said, looking at Rose. “They wouldn’t even give me hints.” She shot accusing looks at the two boys, then settled across from then next to Rose.

Dave shrugged. “Let’s make sure we get food first so nobody bursts in on this. Not like this is top secret government shit here, but it may be something the four of us want to keep to ourselves.”

Rose raised her eyebrows at the two boys and Jade tried to convince them to talk before, but finally gave up and ordered food. They made small talk until their food arrived. As soon as the waiter left the room, Jade and Rose latched their gazes on the males across the table.

“So?” Jade asked impatiently, hands absentmindedly braiding a small section of her hair.

John cleared his throat noticeably. “Well, it’s a bit of a sensitive matter and we-” 

Dave cut in. “It’s about being thirteen.”

Jade, who was in the middle of taking a sip of water, nearly spit it out over the table. Rose lifted a hand to rub the other female’s back. “Dave, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

John coughed a little nervously. “Well, ah. Thing is, none of us remember anything about it, not until my fourteenth birthday.”

Jade’s eyes widened, and she turned to address Rose and Dave. “You guys too? Why didn’t you ever tell us, Rose? We would have been there for you! And Dave, you too? No wonder you guys bonded so well when you were younger!”

Rose just raised an eyebrow. “Jade, I don’t think this is really a topic I could have brought up in any casual conversation while we were overseas. At least, I believe so.” She pursed her lips slightly, then drew them out to a thin line in thought. “How did you two get on the topic, actually?”

“Ah, that, well we were-”

Dave cut in for John. “We were discussing his future projects. John’s supposed to have another screenplay mostly finished as soon as this next one is all said and done. I ended up asking him if he had any ideas and he mentioned he had a notebook from when he was thirteen…” Dave paused. “And he had already warned me that he was going to sound like the weirdest person on the planet. I think him saying that was probably the thing I was least expecting at the time.”

Jade cocked her head to the side. “Wait a minute, why were you two hanging out?”

“We were doing work! He’s going to take pictures for me and we got to talking and lost track of the time but kept talking because we hadn’t gotten any work done to begin with…” John trailed off, sputtering slightly. Dave noticed the dusting of a blush on John’s cheeks.

“I’m going to be taking promo shots. That’s not the point here though.”

“No indeed.” Rose agreed, running a hand through her hair. “John, you said you have a notebook from when you were thirteen, right?” He nodded slowly.

“Did you bring it, like we talked about?” Dave asked, glancing at him.

John nodded at Jade, who opened the large bag she brought with her and pulled out a locked container. “Jade and I thought it was safer to lock up back when we were younger. We really didn’t know what to think of it or anything, and…”

Jade pointed at John. “He kept the key for this box, and I filed it away in my library at home behind some old Bronte books. I knew nobody would look back there, who even needs twenty first edition copies of Wuthering Heights anyways?”

John pulled his keys out of his pocket and worked one off. “Hey, I was the one that picked the place to keep it!” He handed the key to Jade, who was silently giggling.

“Sure you did… oh, there goes the lock!” She swung the lid off and they stared at a very beat up old notebook. The cover clearly read “My notes, year 13” as if it had been drawn over several times to darken the words.

John lifted the notebook from the box and placed it on the table. “So, ah, I guess here it is…” He shivered a little.

Dave and Jade reached out, fingers brushing the front cover, the sides, and the spiral metal spine. “That’s pretty fucking creepy…”

Jade nodded. “Tell me about it. Rose? You okay?”

Rose nodded, swallowing, and touched the cover softly, hand slightly shaking. “What do you think about that notebook? How does, and Dave don’t even try to make a comment about this, how does it make you feel?”

All four of them leaned in slightly, and John shivered slightly. They paused, and John reached for his drink, gulping down a few mouthfuls. “I don’t know if I’m even supposed to tell you…. I just don’t understand exactly what. Exactly what makes me think I really shouldn’t look and really shouldn’t tell you. Something’s screaming at my sanity but…”

Jade smiled at him. “John, you haven’t even shared anything with me about it, really. It’s fine if you don’t want to talk. We understand if it’s just that uncomfortable.”  
John shook his head briefly. “It’s fine. I…I want to be able to share this with you all.”

Dave sighed lightly, cocking his head ever so slightly. “You opened it once before… Let’s start with an easier question. How much of it did you even read?”

John shuddered. “Maybe five pages. The therapist I had at the time wanted me to read the whole thing, but I couldn’t… and….”

“It’s okay, take your time John. Just remember, we’re all your friends and there’s no way in hell we can judge you for something we ourselves want to know as well.” Rose reached out and placed one of her hands on his forearm, squeezing lightly.

John nodded once to no one in particular and continued. “When I opened it, I felt like I violated something… it felt like I was seeing something and was remembering something I was never supposed to know, or know again.”


	6. Nothing's Fair in Pillow Fights

It was the weekend, only two days after meeting with the girls, only two days after reuniting with John. Dave was over at his house with the promise of getting to watch his film so he knew how to take promotional shots of the other male. However, they seemed to get sidetracked by so many things before watching it. John had seemed appalled that Dave wanted to jump right in to the movie without making any sort of popcorn first.

Secondly, John was hurt that Dave hadn’t seen the movie he was writing it on in several years. Given, it was a horrible movie, but John would hear none of it and instead popped the movie into his old DVD player and started it up. Dave wasn’t being the best sport about it either, and made quite the fake fuss about having to watch the film.

John giggled and tossed a pillow at Dave. “Shut up and watch the damned movie. I know it’s not even good, but young me loved it.”

Dave rolled his eyes and tucked the pillow behind his head. “I still don’t know how you can enjoy crap like this. I mean, really? Con Air really was a way for them to market more of Nic Cage and hope to sell cheap action figures from it or some shit. It was never meant to be some deep, life changing film.”

John shot Dave a look. “I said shut up and watch the movie. I don’t care if it’s bad, but seeing it will help my screenplay make a lot more sense.” He reached into a bowl of popcorn and brought several popped kernels to his mouth. “I already agreed to watch a movie you like after this, remember?”

“John, I didn’t know you were going to play this kind of crap. I may have to pull out one of the worst films I get enjoyment out of to make up for this.” He glanced over at John and tossed his head back further into the pillow. “Yeah, yeah I know. Shut up and watch the fucking movie. I got it.”

 

“Should we open the notebook, or should we just let it sit and do nothing about it?” Jade asked quietly.

Rose shook her head. “I really don’t know about this one. John? It is yours, after all.”

The brunette male winced slightly. “I wish I wasn’t the one that had to decide this for you, you know. Can’t you just choose for yourselves?”

Dave, who had let the other three of them talk in circles for the past few minutes finally opened his mouth. “How about we leave it somewhere. If nobody feels an immediate pressing urge to open the notebook and read what’s inside, how about we let it be for now? If John is that uncomfortable about it, it wouldn’t seen right.”

Rose nodded slowly. “A simple enough solution, Dave. As expected from you.” She picked it up while Jade put it back in the case and stashed it away in her purse.”

John spoke up again, voice quiet. “Do you guys think it would be okay for me to write about what I remember from it? The bit I want to use for my second screenplay?”

Jade nodded, but Dave spoke up. “First, I want to hear all of what you can remember from it. Was… was there anything about other people with you or something like that?”

The male nodded, then took off his glasses to clean them. “Sorry, they’ve started to fog up for some reason. Um, well. I can remember a few things. Mostly… well. Breath,   
Time, Space, and Light.”

The other three jolted suddenly. Jade let out a shudder while Dave just sat there completely still. Rose was the only one that seemed marginally unaffected. “Is there any more you can remember from it? Clearly that seemed to not just pertain to you… anything that might point to us, anything at all.”

John lifted a finger, first pointing at himself. “Now, since things make more sense to me… Hero.” He pointed at Jade. “Witch.” To Rose “Seer.” Finally his hand pointed at Dave, and his voice slowly dropped. “Knight.”

Dave sat there, fists slowly balling, jaw clenched. Jade was taking in deep breaths, and even Rose seemed shocked into silence by this one. After a few minutes, Dave unlocked his jaw. “Now I understand why you said you didn’t think you were meant to read that.”

Jade looked up, broken from her trance by the blonde male’s words. “Oh John…” She said, quickly reaching for his hands. He lifted them to meet hers. “Why didn’t you tell me how it felt? I mean, you just gilded the issue, which is clearly not what needed to be done. That was… even that much was horrible.” She swallowed thickly, falling silent again.

“Trust me, after what I went through… There was no way I was going to put anyone else through it.” He raked a hand through his dark hair.

“Knight of Time…” Dave breathed softly to no one in particular.

 

John wiped a tear rolling down his cheek as the finals strains of the movie faded out. “Oh man, it never gets old,” he whispered to nobody in particular.

Dave stretched as the credits rolled. “Dude, that was seriously the worst movie I’ve watched in years.”

“Says the man who’s going to make me watch the Care Bears Movie…” John said, laughing again. He was all laughter, Dave noticed. It didn’t just come out of him; he was the laughter. It showed on his lips, it shone in his eyes.

“Yeah yeah. So, do you want me to watch the rough cuts or what?”

John shifted his feet slightly. “Actually… I was wondering if you could also listen and maybe see if the sound needs editing? You know, since you used to be a DJ or something like that? I bet you have a good ear for that…”

“I was amateur at best, John. You’ve heard my crappy songs.”

John shrugged, half smiling. “To be completely honest, I really liked some of the songs you gave me. The ones you made when you were a kid?” Dave nodded and John smiled fully. “I really did like some of them, honestly!”

The blonde shrugged. “That’s my past man, but thanks. It means a lot to me, you know?”

John nodded, then glanced at the clock. “Oh shit! It’s already past eleven…” He took of his glasses, swiftly cleaning them with his shirt. “You have work in the morning, don’t you? I’m so sorry… I really didn’t mean to keep you this late!”

The other man smirked, standing up slowly to wake his legs up. “Don’t worry about it. I wanted to come over, after all. I enjoyed the time I was spending here with you, too… And besides, it was my fault for us not getting to the movie after all that time, if anything. Plus, I don’t start until ten tomorrow. Clients don’t like to press their luck on Sundays after all.”

John nodded, but still looked apologetic. “Seriously though, you’re going to have to see this sometime…”

Dave smirked slightly. “You just want me over again, don’t deny it!”

The brunette sputtered a bit too much for that comment to have just innocently jabbed at the wrong place, Dave noticed. “Hey now, I enjoy your company! You… you’re a really great friend and everything!”

Dave had found the crack, and he was willing to dig in it a bit longer before relenting. “You’re saying that Jade or Rose would be just as fit to watch this film with you?”

John looked at his glasses carefully, searching for smudges. He seemed unsatisfied with his previous results and started re-cleaning them. “I mean… they just aren’t as willing or something, I guess. I’ve offered to watch movies with them.”

Dave threw his hands up in mock defense. “Man, all I was supposed to do was watch this film you’re working on so I know how to take pictures of you.”

John grabbed the pillow Dave had held captive the entire movie and tossed it at the blonde, holding his glasses with one hand. He had remarkably bad aim when he couldn’t see. It was almost hilarious. Dave quickly rescued the pillow from flying into the kitchen, and softly tossed it at John’s head. “Hey! That wasn’t fair,” forced its way through John’s giggles.

Dave adjusted his shades slightly. “Nothing’s fair in pillow fights.”

John tilted his head to the side. “What if those pillow fights are in war or love?”

Dave chuckled briefly. “It overrides the fairness boundaries. There’s a little asterisk over that saying that reads ‘this rule is null and void in the case of pillow fights.’” John slipped his glasses back on his face. Dave noticed how they somehow made John looked more like he belonged when he was wearing them as he continued. “Lalonde’s mom probably got the letters gilded with gold foil or some shit like that.”

John ran a hand through his perpetually messy hair. “Oh man, that would actually be really hilarious.”

Dave pulled his poker face on. “I’m serious about this one. Now, if you excuse me, I probably should be going.”

“Oh, yeah!” John teetered, unsure of how to say goodbye to Dave. To hug him would be awkward, to walk him to the door would open the door to all the feelings he had for the other male, and to just let him leave seemed cruel. He settled with nodding, offering Dave a fist bump. “I’ll see you later, man!”

Dave returned the bump. “Tomorrow? I can be back at three to actually watch your movie.” It was spoken like a question, but John only nodded, swallowing.

“Yeah, sure. See you later, man.”

“Later, Egbert.” With that, Dave left the room, and John could hear the door opening and closing behind him as he left. John tried to not rush over to the window, but he was powerless to tell his feet to do anything. He practically ran, ripping the curtains aside to watch Dave walk down the steps onto the street and steal away into the night. He let out a long breath.

If John had been able to see Dave’s face, he would have noticed a half-predatory smirk on his face as he left.


	7. "Is your ringtone "Dick in a Box"?"

Dave never really minded working on Sundays. They were quiet and fairly relaxed, and he usually didn’t have much in the way of a social life, so it didn’t typically matter. He would see Rose for lunch almost every Sunday, and this one was no exception.

However, he could tell he might not want to work Sunday mornings any longer. He had John as a constant in his life for less than a week and already he could feel everything converging around that point. Was it only a week ago that he stared at the beautifully rendered photographs of his stunning, piercing blue eyes? Was it only three days ago that the four of them realized a horrible truth they hid from themselves.

Dave was not used to time moving fast for him. He was used to being able to have time fit exactly what he wanted. He was used to a schedule that fit his life, that made perfect sense. It seems John could tear him apart with more than just his eyes.

Mornings were crisp and Dave usually rode his bike to work if he went in on the weekends. He was a remarkably fit man mostly because he practiced with swords for hours on end every few days, but he still liked to work more than just his arms. Swords were something he held on from when he was very little. His brother used to make money on the sides working as a stuntman when Dave was younger. He used to look back fondly at the times he was brought on set of some of the films and shown exactly how the cameras worked. Looking back, that was probably around the time he started getting into photography. Possibly an odd choice, given that video cameras and still cameras were completely different to master, but Dave was quite an odd guy.

He carried his bike into his studio when he got there. He looked at the clock; ten minutes before the client would be there for a consultation. Dave also promised to do the photos that day, and he planned to continue working through lunch to get ahead. He quickly checked his email, which was almost too quiet. Another plea from National Geographic it seemed… He’d have to ask around before deciding on that one.

The customer entered. Two very good looking and very shy young men entered, looking around them. Dave stood up, pulling a slight smile as he moved to shake their hands. “Dave Strider, good to have you here.”

In a matter of seconds it became clear to Dave exactly why they were here and exactly why they may be a little bit shy about doing it. The blonde was no stranger to taking nude photos for clients, and they were always afraid to be doing so. This particular couple had come to get a shoot for an online magazine they ran with a friend of theirs.

“We’d have photographers of our own, except since we work online, we cover stories all over the nation. When people ask to write for us or we ask them to write an article, we have them supply their own pictures. Because he and I were going to share our story…” He glanced at the other male, who was staring at some of Dave’s samples on the other side of the lounge. “We wanted to make them a bit more special.”

Dave nodded. “Trust me; I’ve taken my fair share of nude photos. It’ll be nothing new and you can relax. Do you want to take the shoot somewhere special? I assume you have a place planned, or else you wouldn’t have asked to get the photos taken today?”

The man smiled, his lips a tight line and nodded. “Yes, well, ah… It’s maybe twenty miles out of the city. We can drive you there and back if that’s easier, unless that’s a bit weird to ask a photographer.” Dave could tell he was going to ramble, so he cut in.

“You guys help me load your car with the equipment I need, and we can get out of here in ten minutes. Technically the driving would cost money, but the consultation is over. We can use the time now and make it cheaper.” Dave typically wouldn’t have suggested the price to go down, but something made him feel more generous. Maybe it was the fact they wanted nude photos taken on a Sunday. It made him feel almost slightly dirty.

 

Half an hour later, Dave stood in the middle of a field of vibrant flowers. The flowers shouted brilliant shades of red, yellow, purple, white, and orange. Everything was in bloom, and the sun didn’t quite loom overhead yet. The two men had three sheets in case Dave wanted them on something to give some contrast for color, but he had other ideas.

“How did you guys hear about this place?” He asked, scanning for the best flowers, the best backdrops. He didn’t even need to look; the entire place was gorgeous and almost completely untouched.

The smaller man coughed. “My parents own this ranch…” He held his elbow in his other arm, looking down. He spoke softly while toeing at the dirt absently. “They don’t really approve of us, though… so Sunday is the day when they do church things. It was the only day we could get out here.”

Dave nodded. “You two should get ready; we have a lot of work to do.” He set down the case he had been carrying and took out his camera, preparing for the work ahead.

Two hours later and the blonde was finally finished. It was almost an hour past noon, and Dave knew he was going to have an interesting time editing their photos. Luckily he only had to edit the ones they were going to want, but many of them were going to turn out gorgeous. On the car ride back, he decided to ask them some questions. The car ride there had been mostly quiet, but he did need to talk to them.

“That was one of the most interesting shoots I’ve been asked on in a while.” Dave said when the last door was closed. 

The shorter male turned around in his seat and smiled. “I’m a bit surprised I got so in to it… I thought I’d be scared stiff, but then…”

He nodded. “That seems to happen to my clients.” He cleared his throat. “I was wondering if there was any chance I might be able to use some of these photos for my portfolio. They’re going to turn out absolutely gorgeous when I get the edits done… not that there’s much to edit on these.”

The shorter one blushed, and looked at his partner. “Can we… approve of the photos you use first?”

Dave gave one slight nod. “I wouldn’t do it otherwise.”

The taller one elicited a short chuckle. “I think we’re going to be okay with this. Very okay with this.”

 

Dave biked back to his house and texted John. It was a little after 2 and he quickly heating a microwave dinner. He liked to eat them when he was a little too lazy to cook, or it was at an awkward time of the day. He heard his phone chime, and with the last of food in his mouth, read the text. “Come on over, I’m free whenever!”

He headed over and it was a little after three. He waited at the door, tapping his foot a little. John didn’t answer, so he texted him again. There was still no answer, so Dave tried the handle of the door. He frowned when it swung open; John might have been from the suburbs but it wasn’t very safe to do that in the city.

He walked through the house, pausing. There was the delicate sound of a piano playing, and Dave followed the sound. He peeked through a door and saw the brunette hunched over the instrument, fingers tripping nimbly over the keys. Dave knocked on the open door with the back of his hand, and John jumped up, turning towards the sound.

“Oh shit, Dave! I lost myself in the music, I’m so sorry…” He smiled sheepishly.

Dave shrugged. “It was beautiful, that piece you were playing. What’s it called?”

He blushed slightly. “Oh, that? I wrote that song when I was just a boy. It’s just a silly little piece. I call it Showtime.” He shrugged and walked out of the room, fluttering his hands slightly. “So, my film!”

Dave started to follow him, but stopped abruptly as his phone went off. “Is your ringtone “Dick in a Box,” Dave?”

“Shut up Egbert.” Dave looked at the caller ID, but didn’t recognize it. “I’m going to take this, is that okay?” John nodded and he picked the phone up. “Strider.” He listened to the other line for a few seconds. “You what?” A few more seconds. “Of course I’m interested, and the price doesn’t matter.” A few more seconds, and another response. John looked at him with great interest. “Yes, I can be there tonight. Thank you again. Bye for now.”

Dave hung up the phone. “And who was that?” John asked. “A lady friend?”

Dave smirked, a true smile. “Not my thing. Besides, even better.” John was blushing from the first comment, but was extremely interested. “Do you want to go on a little trip with me? Something’s come up I’m very interested in.”


	8. "Less talk, more Dixie Chicks"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A chapter that tells us more about John than Dave. Who would have guessed Dave listened to country, and who would have guessed John could sing along to every words.

Dave offered to drive, and in less than five minutes they were on the road. “Where exactly are we going then, Dave?” John asked as he buckled his seatbelt.

Dave shrugged, turning on the car. He quickly scrolled through his iPod and pressed play, then grabbed his seatbelt. As he started to drive, the strains of a strikingly familiar country song started to play over his speakers.

“Dave, what kind of music are we listening to?”

The blonde smirked slightly. “Dixie Chicks. What better to listen to when we’re heading out to the farm?”

John tried not to laugh as he started to recognize the lyrics to the song. “Mary Ann and Wanda were the best of friends all through their high school days. Both members of the 4-H club, both active in the FFA…” He belatedly realized that the man next to him driving was singing along to the lyrics softly.

John was torn between laughing and staring at the other man with horror, but broke out into the wildest grin as the song got to the chorus. “Cuz Earl had to die! Na na na na na, goodbye Earl!” He sang at the top of his lungs.

Dave looked over at him, almost distracted enough to make scrap metal out of the stop sign in front of them. “Didn’t take you for a country fan, Egbert.”

“Didn’t take you for one either.” He countered. “I listen to a lot of music. I wanted to work in the movie industry; of course I’ve heard all sorts of songs on soundtracks.”

Dave chuckled briefly. “I’ll give you that. My bro would DJ for all sorts of things. I know more music than people should…”

John giggled as well, listening to the song for a bit. “So why are we going to a farm exactly?”

Dave flashed him a wry smile briefly before looking back at the road before him. “Pigs. Now, less talk more Dixie Chicks.”

The rest of the car ride was filled with the two of them jokingly singing along to other songs that played. “Ready ready ready, ready to run. All I want to do is have some fun…” Dave sang in soulful twang. It made John wonder if he had a hidden southern accent, but he was never going to ask. John practically acted out the lyrics to “Cowboy Take Me Away,” pointing out the fields as he sang along. “I said I wanna touch the earth, I wanna break it in my hands. I want to grow something wild and unruly.” Dave was grateful John couldn’t hear the muffled snort that came out of his mouth for the last part of those lyrics. He pointed at Dave, fake microphone in his hand as he sang the chorus. “Cowboy take me away; fly this girl as high as you can into the wild blue.”

They pulled into a little farm as the two of them belted another song out loud. “I cried. Never gonna hold the hand of another guy.” Dave grabbed his iPod quickly, scrolling for another song.

“Hey! I was singing to that!” John complained as the song cut off.

“No complaining, this is tradition when I get here. And, song.” Dave risked a glance at John when he heard the first strains of the song. By the look of the man’s face, he had never seen this particular shitty movie, lucky bastard.

“Bark bark soo-ee yippee yo ki-ay! Pig power in the house!” Played over the speakers, sound accompanied by a horribly cheesy rap back beat.

“What the ever-loving hell?” John said, risking a glance at Dave. The blonde was trying his hardest to not laugh, and he was doing a fair job of it.

“C’mon Egbert, you should appreciate the beauty of “Pig Power in the House,” of all people. I can’t believe you’ve never seen Gordy, with your taste in crap movies.” The blonde finally pulled into a stop and turned off the car, blessedly turning off the song in the process. “We’re here now.”

John unbuckled and popped out of the car. “I’m going to ask again… what are we doing here?”

Dave smirked. “We’re here to see a man about a fetus.”

Dave met with a ruddy elder male who smiled at both him and John warmly when they approached the farmhouse. “Ah, Dave! Bringing another date here? Remember how the last guy reacted…”

He tried not to flinch. “Just a friend. You said you had something unique for me?” He asked, taking the other man by the forearm. He motioned for John to follow behind.

They entered what John could only describe as a bizarre farmhouse. It was almost mechanical, with metal walls and sophisticated tools everywhere. He wondered if he was too used to barns in movies, or maybe just hadn’t seen any sort of newer barns. The brunette lost himself in his thoughts for a few more seconds to acclimate a bit better to the smell.

Dave and the other man were walking ahead, deep in conversation. The man was happy and animated, and Dave almost looked excited to John. It was… kind of cute. However, he kept his own thoughts to himself when Dave called out to him.

As John approached, “So, this is probably the best thing I could have ever dragged you out here for. He has a pig fetus for me that you need to see.” The brunette noticed that his companion actually sounded happy. A lot of the time he sounded content, but he was downright gleeful about this.

John followed curiously, and watched as the man pulled a pig fetus out of a freezer. Dave licked his lips and moved forward slightly as it was placed on the table. He leaned backwards slightly to address John. “The mother got sick and died. In this farm, the policy is to save the fetuses for high school dissections, but he calls me when there are unique ones.” John leaned in and his eyes widened. “This beauty was born a bit oddly.”

John breathed out a sigh. “It has two heads…”

Dave smirked slightly, nodding at the elder man who was helping them. “Technically it’s just a bit more than one head. If I peel it back, you’ll be able to see that it only has one brain. It just has four ears and four eyes. The skull is fused together just behind the ears, and you can see that it shares the rest of its body.” He knelt down to look at it more closely. “It’s very rare. I’m very lucky to get one of these.”

John fought back a blush. It was almost… otherworldly to see Dave look this happy. The blonde stood up and talked with the elder man for a bit. After a while, he nodded and walked over to a cabinet. He took out a cooler and Dave reached in his pocket, thumbing through his wallet. The man handed him a cooler, and Dave handed him some money.

 

On the way back to the city, now listening to the “Fiddler on the Roof” soundtrack. Flitting violin music played through the car as the two traveled back.

“Um, Dave… what are you going to do with the pig?”

John could swear that the man beside him was grinning. “I’m going to preserve it. It’s one of my favorite hobbies. Dead weird things…” He glanced at John. “You’re more than welcome to join me. I’ll probably dissect slightly, make the brain exposed.”

The brunette smiled, taking off his glasses to wipe them on his shirt. “I, yeah, that would be pretty cool.”

Dave smirked. “Then it’s a date, you’re coming home with me.” If his mind hadn’t been so consumed by the fetus sitting in the backseat of his car, he would have looked over to see John’s obvious blush.

Dave glanced over a few minutes later, and spent the rest of the drive thinking of John’s gorgeous blue eyes, studded with flickers of anticipation. “Matchmaker matchmaker make me a match. Find me a find, catch me a catch. Night after night in the dark I’m alone, so find me a match of my own.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't need to check to make sure the Dixie Chicks lyrics I mentioned in this piece are correct because frankly, I could sing those songs in my sleep. They're "Goodbye Earl," "Ready to Run," "Cowboy Take Me Away," and "Travelling Soldier," respectively. Those are just the few that I thought would fit in with a story like this... And I couldn't resist John acting along with "Cowboy Take Me Away" for the life of me.
> 
> "Pig Power in the House" is from the cinema atrocity "Gordy" which of course I learned about from The Nostalgia Critic. The song is by Tag Team.
> 
> "Matchmaker" is from Fiddler on the Roof. If you haven't seen it, you are completely missing out and I heartily recommend it.


	9. Dave's Quirks (Alternate: "He's infected me.")

John smiled brightly as he walked through the front of Dave’s studio, only to be greeted by a flash of bright light. He blinked in surprise and heard a deep chuckle. “Got you. You never know which shot will be the best.” It was Wednesday, and John was seeing Dave for the first time since the trip on Sunday. Since then, he had learned quite a few things about Dave.

John decided to list all the things he learned about Dave in his head after he got back to his own apartment after that night. It was the only thing that could calm his mind at the time, and he deeply needed it. The list was typed up in a word document on his computer, labeled under “Dave’s Quirks.” He was tempted to put a little heart icon, or a childish less-than-three symbol next to it, but thought better of it before he could be that stupid.

For one, Dave used the phrase “it’s a date” far more than any regular person would. When Rose had called that night, Dave planned his coffee with her using the same words. He then explained, after John had questioned it, that he was in great habit to say things like that and it had gotten him in a lot of trouble in the past. John felt a slight ball in the pit of his stomach.

Secondly, John learned why Dave always wore shades. While working feverishly on peeling back the skin perfectly so he could remove a small segment of bone to show the skull, Dave took off his glasses to wipe his brow. John snuck a glance of his eyes, for he was always curious. The blonde was wincing in the light as he wiped beads of sweat off the lenses carefully. His eyes were a beautifully striking red and apparently extremely light sensitive. Dave didn’t have the brightest of lighting in his house, and even with his shades he never turned all of them on. He even sighed in relief when he placed them back on the bridge of his nose.

Thirdly, Dave had apparently brought a two of the people he dated, or at least considered lovers, to the same place John had just gone. Both of them had thrown up. “It’s actually… and don’t take this as odd, but really relieving that I have someone I can take to a place like that. Rose absolutely refuses to go with me.” He smiled at John warmly when he said this, and the ball in his stomach was jostled by butterflies.

Fourth, John learned that Dave could make him feel like a schoolboy who’s just discovered that he has a crush on someone. He doesn’t know what to do. As far as he can tell, Dave has all but told him nothing will ever happen between them, but at the same time every little smile or chuckle from Dave sends him reeling. It’s shocking and real and terrifying.

Fifth, Dave has the most meticulous music collection on his computer, not to mention those on his external hard drives. He keeps three of them, and only one for his own personal work-related use. The other two, and a good deal of his computer, are taken up by countless musicals, symphonies, operas, and full discographies of bands he could only pretend to have heard of.

“Dave, what’s up with all this music?” John asked in awe while Dave was preparing the proper container for storing the fetal pig.

Dave looked up from the jar he was carefully sterilizing. “I love to work with music, and it doesn’t quite matter which type I listen to. It comes in moods, so sometimes I’ll listen to Rimsky-Korsakov or to heavy metal or music from Pulp Fiction. I like being able to have a selection for when the mood suits me.”

John moved down to look more closely at his collection. “What do you want to listen to for this, then?”

Dave scrunched his brow together for a short while, and then smirked at the other male. “Maybe the Scissor Sisters or something like that.” John giggled and started a song.

John learns so many more things, the way he shakes his head when his bangs flop in front of his eyes when he can’t exactly see what he’s working on, how he hums along to the music but doesn’t really realize it, and the way he chews his lip when he’s concentrating.

It was almost entrancing being there to watch Dave work. It felt much more intimate than any sort of date with the man could be right now, or so he assumed, so it was almost odd for him to be part of the experience. The two of them bonded so much that night, without saying many words, just from being able to gauge the reactions of the other male.

They had gotten so close in less than two weeks, and it was frightening, terrifying, exhilarating, and neither of them were going to stop. Both of them wanted to be terrified, to be scared out of their wits. Dave knew, as John knew, that each of them was going to test the limits of how close they would continue to become.

And so they flirted with the ideas, sometimes with Dave blatantly flirting along as well, spending all their time in honor of John’s “photo session” when, in fact, Dave already finished editing the most beautiful promotional photos. Neither of them could stop, or so it seemed.

 

Rose was already sitting in the café as Dave entered, sitting in her usual seat at the same table they always used. She was knitting, which Dave knew was never a good sign. Rose only knitted when something was bothering her and she needed to keep her emotions in control instead of completely chewing someone else.

Dave coolly strode over to the seat, and smiled. “Lalonde.”

“Strider,” she responded, hardly looking up from her knitting. Shit, Dave was in trouble.

He signaled for one of the baristas to come over and take their order. They didn’t particularly go to an establishment that catered to those sitting down, but they always seemed to favor the regulars. He took a breath, and then started to talk to her. “Interesting yarn you’re using. What exactly are you making?”

She glanced up at him, eyes completely guarded. He wasn’t going to get anything else from her outward emotions, it seemed. “Socks. I’m making some for Jade, since she lacked the benefit of home-made goods like this as a child and I’m in dire need of something to quell my churning mind.” She stopped knitting and the needles hit the table with a metallic clang.

“Fuck Rose, give me a chance to know why you’re pissed at me.” Dave stopped to thank the barista for bringing their drinks, and continued. “You’re clearly mad at me for something, so you might as well cut the shit and tell me.”

She smirked slightly but very coldly, head tilted at a slight angle. “Very well. Are you fucking around with John’s emotions, because if so I am going to make the rest of your life more miserable than plush rump laden puppets ever could.”

Dave was taken aback. “Rose, what the hell. Of course not. Why would you think I would do something like that to him? How could I?” He looked down at his drink. “I don’t know why you’re on the offensive here, but I can assure you I would never do anything like that to him.”

She sighed softly, and took a sip of your drink. “I guess I don’t take you for someone like that, no… but you’ve never seen him cry and I don’t think you ever want to.”

Dave blinked. “Clearly you have. I assume some asshole who thought they could play with John and then spit him out when they were done with him?” Her silence was all the answer he needed. His voice was tighter than he expected it to be, when saying this. “Trust me, you may know my dating history but that’s not something I could ever do to someone like John. You’ve met him; you went to fucking school with him. I met him for the first time two months ago and wasn’t able to do anything but dream about his eyes for nights afterwards. If anyone would ever hurt him, it wouldn’t be me.”

Rose quirked her eyebrows up at Dave. “Sounds like someone is clearly interested.”

Dave snorted, looking at his drink. “It’s been far too long, hasn’t it? I haven’t even thought of having sex with anyone else since then. Rose, he’s infected me! He got under my skin and I don’t know what to do. I never thought I’d see him again, and now that I have and we’ve become friends I don’t even know how I should act anymore.” He took in a long breath, realizing he had almost been hissing out the last of his words. “Rose, I haven’t ever been this way and I don’t know what to do.”

She smiled slightly, taking one of his hands in hers. “You know what to do. We’re not in school anymore and I can’t tell you what to do about any of it, but trust me that you know exactly what to do.”

“Rose, I’ve never felt so close to someone besides you before. To top it off, I want to be even closer. He’s one of my best friends and I don’t want to ruin that.”

“You’re scared.” She whispered, leaning in slightly. “And that’s perfectly alright. In fact, being scared is the emotion you should have right now. If you didn’t, I’d be more worried than not.” She let go of his hand and reached for her cup. “That said, you’re going to need to talk to him soon.”

Dave nodded. “Very soon.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was greatly distracted by my girlfriend, the ending of a most riveting Sherlock fanfiction (if you are a fan of Sherlock I would greatly recommend the story to you. Send me a comment if you want a link to it) and Pride and Prejudice. I've also been watching nothing but British television, and am home alone this week. I had to go and edit some of the text because it was quite actually written "British" instead of in my normal style. 
> 
> On that note, stay tuned for a Sherlock and Torchwood fanfic, both in the works.


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